Dear Sukie

This all started because my brother wants a Christmas list...now I used to have all my shopping done by the start of Nov. That was before kids. Now, it is Internet shopping baby. I love Etsy and all the unique things you can get on there. Anyway, I was looking for a new wallet because mine is getting rather old and yucky and I came across Dear Sukie. These are the cutest wallets I have seen in a long time. Now, she has no idea who I am, but I want to tell you all to go check them out...$8 for a ID/Card holder and less than $3 shipping. She is definitely going on my list to my brother.

ToweLocs

My friend Cindy started her own business and she is up for a huge award:

ToweLocs is in the semi-finals for “Newpreneur of the Year” contest. When you get a chance please check out my bio: http://www.inc.com/newpreneur/semi.html#self

There’s a total of 30 semi-finalist nationwide. I am one of the 5 in the Seattle Region.

http://towelocs.americommerce.com/store/default.aspx

Photo Editing Class

Here is the latest from my photo editing class

Two page layout I made using paper from Digital Designs by Lisa of our trip to Mt. Rainier.

Mt. Rainier

We awoke to the sound of pouring rain on Saturday morning. Good thing we had thought to take this picture on the way down on Friday when it was sunny, it might be the only good one we get. After bacon and eggs we started off to the park. Little did we know that not a mile down the road was the entrance. We are staying in the most perfect place. This cabin was a really good find. There is a 1st floor master with a king bed and a two person jetted tub. Upstairs in a loft like area are two queens and 1 double bed. The stairs are a little steep, but manageable. Anyway, I digress...since it was raining we decided to just play it by ear and tried to find a little waterfall off the beaten path...we drove right by it, but found it on the way back.

After listening to Connor complain, and poor weather, we decided to head straight to Paradise. We did take a little view turn out and it was so cool, we were racing the clouds rolling in and obscuring the view across the canyon. When we reached the top, I think we were there when the only few seconds the mountain was visible today. We enjoyed the visitors center, the Inn, and hiking to Myrtle Falls.

Coming back down the mountain we stopped at another falls where the boys decided not to hike down, but I am hoping that Ryan got some awesome pictures once we stitch it all together. Then we tried to hike Comet Falls, but alas the parking area was full. (It is first on our list for tomorrow.) So we decided to drive and see what we could find. What we found was Carter Falls. A short little 1.1 mile hike...ha...2.5 miles later we reached the falls and then still had to come back and cross the "log bridge". I think some ice cream was earned for that! Thank goodness the "General Store" (and I use that term loosely) in Longmire had something to fit the bill.

Back safe and sound in our cabin we watched Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade while eating grilled pork chops, noddles, and salad. Now it its bedtime and both boys are fighting it. I am going to finish my glass of wine and hit the sack myself.

Changes

There have been some big things going on here lately.

Wyatt is sleeping in a Big Boy Bed!!!

Connor has lost two teeth and the tooth fairy has visited!!!

We are going to Mt. Rainier this weekend with my parents. Hopefully the weather cooperates.

Look for lots of scrapbook pages next week.

Crockpot

Vegetable Potato Beef Soup

1 1/2 cups sliced carrots

1 1/2 cups cubed potatoes

1 cup sliced celery

1/2 cup chopped onions

2 cups water

1 1/4 lbs ground beef, browned and drained

2 tsp salt

4-5 cups tomato juice

1 TBS brown sugar

Combine veggies and water in microwave-safe container. Cover and micro on High 18-20 minutes. DO NOT DRAIN. Place veggies in slow cooker.

Combine all ingredients in slow cooker

Cover and cook on Low 6-8 hours. or until veggies are done.

New Cookbook

Most everyone who knows me, knows that I LOVE to cook. I am SUPER excited for this cookbook to come out. It is by one of my favorite bloggers. She isn't taking her book signing tour out here, but she is coming to Chicago Nov 19th...maybe some nice family member who lives there will go get one signed for me. It would make an awful nice Christmas gift...hint, hint. Hmmm..

Seriously, I will probably be buying this for all my friends and relatives whom I draw for Christmas. And as much as I love my BIL who works at Borders...it is $16.50 on Amazon vs. $27 at Boarders...sorry Paul, Amazon it will be.

3 Generations

Old Camera

Sept 11th

MY BROTHER

MY FLAG

WE WILL NEVER FORGET!!!

Cooking

MENU

Chanterelle Mushroom Salad

Guinness Battered Fish and Chips

Braised Veal Shoulder with Fresh Pasta

Pork Belly Sliders with Bourbon Apple Cider Sauce and Red Cabbage

Does the above menu sound good? Then why not consider taking a cooking class with me. I am taking it a Sur La Table

Texture

The boys on one of our many hikes

English Rose - England

Tree Lined Street in the middle of Poland
Water Lily in pond in Poland

Learning Clipping Masks

Buttefly from the Butterfly House on Mackinac Island

1st Day of Kindergarten

Parish Picnic

Digital Designs By Lisa

Template #6

Neutral Paper #1

100% Boy Kit

For Your Information

This is Salal and it has these little black berries. They apparently are good to eat. At least my 2 year old thought they were. It is a native to Washington plant.

According to King County: The single best ground cover for northwest gardens, salal is a do it all plant. Long recognised as one of the best foliage plants for flower arranging, it is also one of the most adaptable in the native repertoir. It can be grown short, if pruned back, hedged into wave like drifts, allowed to grow rampant and irregular to five feet or more. It will also grow where almost nothing else will, in deep understory forest groves, moist or dry soils, in full sun or deep shade. It does have a harder time in full sun, but if well watered or near the coast, it can survive. It does not transplant well, but it is generally available at garden centers.

It is edible: Its dark blue "berries" (actually swollen sepals[1]) and young leaves are both edible and are efficient appetite suppressants, both with a unique flavor. Salal berries were a significant food resource for native people, who both ate them fresh and dried them into cakes. They were also used as a sweetener, and the Haida used them to thicken salmon eggs. The leaves of the plant were also sometimes used to flavor fish soup.[1]
More recently, salal berries are used locally in jams, preserves and pies.[1][3] They are often combined with Oregon-grape because the tartness of the latter makes up for the mild sweetness of salal.

My Fall Wishlist

Coldwater Creek $24.99

Coldwater Creek $49.99

with shell $24.99

Frustration

I am trying to plan at least one night, preferably a whole weekend away without kids or husbands....where does a single person go? I can't find anyone to go with me or meet me someplace relatively inexpensive. So, now I am looking for someplace to go by myself. Where to go...I probably won't do anything by myself other than sit and read...maybe I need to find a state park that rents cabins and just go there...at least I would be away.

Maybe I should go to Cama Beach State Park - it is only $62 per night + tax...hmmm

Deluxe Cabins - There are seven deluxe cabins. Each is 14'x28' in size with a living room and kitchen area, bedroom and small bathroom with shower, toilet and sink. Deluxe cabins have one double bed and two twin-size beds and sleep 4 to 5 people. Cabin amenities are electric heat and lights, refrigerator, microwave and sink. The cabins are set above the beach, with a view of the water. Linen service is not currently available. Guests need to take along their own bedding, pillows, towels, cookware, dishes and utensils.

Photo Shoot

My friend Rose over at Rosemary Wagner Photography took my boys pictures today. If anyone knows anything about my boys it is that they never both cooperate at the same time. The weather was iffy, so we opted for an inside photo session at her studio on First Hill. We arrived and she had brought her kids with so they immediately started playing, putting my boys at ease in the space while Rose and I set up. (For those that don't remember, I also work seasonally for Dorian Studio with the schools for homecomings and PROM and I work with Rose (who moonlights), which is how I know her.) We then got the boys together in a little radio flyer wagon I had brought (Thanks Tina!!!). I can't wait to see how the pictures turned out...the boys were dressed in blue jeans, white shirts, and bare feet. Couldn't have been cuter, except for the second outfit I brought...Wyatt a blue/red airplane shirt and Connor a plain red shirt. We got the boys individually and then together without the wagon and then with a desk. Can you tell, I am super excited about this...I can't wait to see them....alas, it will be up to a month because Rose is so super busy mom and photographer with a growing business. Which is actually quite standard....so in the meantime I will just wait and recommend her to anyone wanting some high quality photos of their family. Check out her website to see some of her work...tell her I sent ya!!!

Guest Product Tester

http://mylifeandscrap.com/shop/index.php?main_page=index&manufacturers_id=40

Lisa over at Digital Designs by Lisa has asked me to design some pages using her products. I am so excited and honored. My first layout will be using her Template #1 and her Neutral Set #1, but first I have to take some pictures of the stages of my apple pie. For those of you who have longed for the recipe, stay tuned.

Mystery Scrap Challenge

Connor helped me do today's Mystery Scrap Challenge. Hosted by Lisa of Digital Designs by Lisa over at http://www.mylifeandscrap.com/

Revised UP page

Which one is better?

Sidelines Volunteer of the Month...ME!!!

I was chosen as Sidelines Volunteer of the Month for Sept....wow!

http://sidelines.org/volunteer-spotlight/september_volunteer/